It seems histrionic to say that one's life can be interrupted by a song on the radio but such is the case for Thom Cox. At eight years old, while driving to the store with his mother, Thom heard Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love on an AM radio station in his hometown of Baltimore, MD. Little would be the same. The sheer passion of Jimmy Page's guitar playing inspired in Thom the need to play. Three years later his parents would by him his first guitar and he would barricade himself in his bedroom trying to learn.

After forming his first band, Valtez, with high school friends, Thom took a detour to explore the world of jazz. Jazz had been ever present in his childhood as his father was a big fan of the genre but the fire ignited when Thom heard noted jazz guitarist Pat Metheny play for the first time. Instinct told him that to play like that he had to go back to the beginning so Thom began studying with local bebop guitarist Dave Leone who "totally kicked his ass and made him feel redicuolous at times.."



This training plus two semesters at the Peabody Institute in classic guitar and music theory prepared Thom for college. In 1989, Thom graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Guitar Performance from Towson State University. During his five years there, Thom developed a greater interest in both ensemble composition and electronic music. These interests would lead to his applying for a Master's Degree Program at Boston's New England Conservatory of Music. Thom graduated with a degree in Compostion from NEC in 1991.

The unmistakable common element in both Thom's jazz and classical compositions is rock 'n roll. This coupled with his growing outrage at social conditions and proirites in in 90's society led Thom to pick up his Les Paul and pursue a rock band again; a vehicle to play music he loves and voice his concerns and desires. Oh, and he started shaving his head around that time too.